Calcite from Egremont, England, UK

Without doubt this is a showstopping specimen and one that will once again become a prized addition to someone's collection because of its quality, provenance, and associated history. At 8.5 cm wide, 6 cm high and 4 cm thick, this 'heart-twin' Calcite is from one of the iron mines in the Egremont district, most probably Gillfoot or Gillfoot Park mine, which now lies beneath the north-western fringes of Egremont itself, a market town in west Cumbria. The dimensions given are for the primary crystal itself, the attached and most unusual co-joined part-crystal extends the overall length to a little over 9 cm. This smaller crystal is epitaxially aligned to the major twin and the crystallography is certainly worth further investigation. The Calcite although colourless, is blushed subtle and delicate pinks by Hematite across its display face. The prism faces are mirror-smooth and the terminations deeply furrowed. A sinuous rib along the back of the specimen is darkened deep fawn and brick-red by included Hematite and other impurities. The prime Calcite twin has very gemmy zones throughout, but the smaller adjunct crystal is ice-clear and optically perfect. This specimen was in the famous William W. Jefferis (1820-1906) collection, one of the USA's finest at the time, which in 1904 was bought by Andrew Carnegie. The specimen comes with a W.W. Jefferis label, now in two pieces but totally legible. See the Mineralogical Record label archive. Need more be said?